We have found that by re-hydrating the surface of the calcined shaped calcium aluminate catalyst support and then drying it, the support, once impregnated with a metal compound provides an egg-shell catalyst precursor in which the metal oxide formed upon calcination is concentrated as an outer surface layer on the support and is not uniformly distributed. Moreover, the properties of such catalysts are enhanced in comparison to the known catalysts.
Accordingly, the invention provides a method for preparing a catalyst comprising the steps of:                (i) preparing a calcined shaped calcium aluminate catalyst support,        (ii) treating the calcined shaped calcium aluminate support with water, and then drying the support,        (iii) impregnating the dried support with a solution containing one or more metal compounds and drying the impregnated support,        (iv) calcining the dried impregnated support, to form metal oxide on the surface of the support and        (v) optionally repeating steps (ii), (iii) and (iv) on the metal oxide coated support.        
The invention further provides an eggshell catalyst obtainable by the method.
The invention further provides a process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprising the step of contacting a mixture of hydrocarbon and steam at elevated temperature and pressure with the eggshell catalyst.